uring the Middle Ages, two poems, Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight embody heroic figures. Beowulf, who demonstrates all the characteristics of an ideal hero, is faced with physical challenges that no other man could face during his existence. Beowulf was not only looking to become a hero, he wanted to reveal the importance of establishing identity. However, Beowulf was not the only hero during this time period. Sir Gawain also participates in challenges that define his character. Sir Gawain was indeed a hero, but he was mostly concerned with maintaining his reputation, which sets him and Beowulf apart when it comes to being the most ideal hero. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are both models of strength and bravery as they achieve deeds in order to bring glory to their king. As both men try to establish a heroic title, Beowulf gained better recognition because he was a hero to his not only his king, but to his entire society. …show more content…
Sir Gawain who does embody heroic characteristics, like, bravery and intelligence, still falls short in establishing recognition like Beowulf did. To Sir Gawain, it wasn’t about his identity or his kingdom. Sir Gawain had the ultimate desire to become part of a higher position. He was mostly concerned about protecting his reputation. Because Sir Gawain was so concerned about his reputation, he tells a lie by leaving out the green girdle when talking to the host. Not only did Sir Gawain tell a lie by leaving out the green girdle, he also fails to mention his sexual passion, the passion that gets him into trouble. However, Sir Gawain did show acts of heroism as he set forth the Green Knight. Even when the knight made a promise to not tell a soul, Sir Gawain did not back down. Regardless of Sir Gawain’s courage and bravery, he values his own life more than loyalty, honesty, and respect, the aspects that define an ideal
Despite being a knight, Sir Gawain sinned. He was greedy. He accepted a woman’s girdle because it would literally save his neck in the covenant he had with the Green Giant. The woman’s girdle was magical and saved people from every thrust or strike they would endure. Sir Gawain learned his lesson through all the guilt he feels when he was caught. Moreover, when Sir Gawain says, “Dread of the death blow and cowardly doubts meant I gave into greed, and in doing so forgot the freedom and fidelity every knight knows to follow,” (“Sir Gawain” 235). Even though Sir Gawain was a noble knight he still sinned against the knightly code and also against the Ten Commandments.
The three heroes discussed here, Beowulf, Sir Gawain and King Arthur, are heroes for different reasons. Beowulf, our earliest hero, is brave but his motivation is different than then other two. To Sir Gawain personal honor and valor is what is important. King Arthur, Sir Gawain's uncle, is naturally the quintessential king of the medieval period. Though all men to a certain extent share the same qualities, some are more pronounced than in the others. It is important to see how these qualities are central to their respective stories and how it helps (or hinders) them in their journeys.
Men exemplify heroic qualities in both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, however, women are depicted differently in the two stories. In Beowulf, women are not necessary to the epic, where as in Green Knight, women not only play a vital role in the plot, but they also directly control the situations that arise. Men are acknowledged for their heroic achievement in both stories, while the women's importance in each story differ. However, women are being equally degraded in both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Heroes come in many forms. The construction of "the heroic" has taken many forms, yet traits such as: courage, honor, and loyalty, reappear as themes throughout the "hero" personality. The characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain each represent a version of a hero, yet each comes across quite differently in their story. A hero can be said to truly win if he remains constant to his noble values when put in any situation that crosses his way. When measured by that criterion, Sir Gawain stands out above Beowulf as a true hero, due to his command of both personal and spiritual power through the use of thought, as well as valiant deeds.
...Gawain’s time in the wilderness, living nature, and his acceptance of the lady’s offering of the green girdle teach him that though he may be the most chivalrous knight in the land, he is nevertheless human and capable of error.
During the Middle Ages, both “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” were epic stories that were chanted aloud to the public. Each story told about epic heroes who went on a long journey to face or conqueror someone or something. “Beowulf” is a poem about a young man, Beowulf, who slays a monster and his mother with his bare hands to protect the people he loves. As the years go by Beowulf becomes king and a dragon begins to stir. In response to this, Beowulf fights the dragon with a sword and one loyal companion. Beowulf’s life comes to end, but so does the dragons. From this epic poem you can see that good does triumph over evil, but sometimes it comes at a cost. Along with “Beowulf”, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” was another popular poem. This poem was about a squire, Sir Gawain, who chooses to take on a game proposed by the Green Knight instead of his uncle, King Arthur. He took on the game because he believed King Arthur’s life was more valuable than his own and that King Arthur should not risk his own life. As a result, Sir Gawain became a knight because of his loyalty and bravery. Both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’s and Beowulf’s characters share the same quality of courage, the desire to protect people and the involvement of supernatural beings.
Initially, Gawain’s strongest trait is humility, Beowulf’s is pride. In the beginning of Gawain and the Green Knight, a mysterious warrior enters King Arthur’s court to extend a challenge. Although he knows others in the court would handle the challenge better than him, out of respect, when King Arthur attempts to accept the challenge Gawain comes forth and suggests he takes his place. Gawain presents himself as “the weakest of them, I know, and the dullest-minded/ so my death would be least loss, if truth should be told/ only because you are my uncle am I to be praised/ no virtue I know in myself but your blood” (Broadview Analogy 269). Instead of bragging about his bravery, Gawain acts modestly and states that his death would be of little loss during this challenge. He is not self-absorbed and gives off the impression that the only reason he is a knight is because of his relation with King Arthur. By stating this, he gives off the impression that his self confidence is quite weak; this is astonishing for a character of this era. Although King Arthur has at least one of his knights to be proud of, it seems as though
Erika Mercado Essay 2 Modern Heroes: Dante vs Beowulf A modern hero is a good-hearted person with these attributes: bravery, strong, and contributes to saving the lives of his homelands. Beowulf demonstrates the characteristics of a modern hero: a leader, fearless, and generous. Beowulf is a young hero whose character exerts powerful strength in battles. Dante the Pilgrim does not display hero attributes in The Inferno.
Sir Gawain—the lead character in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight—has a hard time keeping his promise while his nobility is tested after he encounters the Lord on his trek to meet the Green Knight. He is depicted as a noble knight who is strong in faith and believes in sticking to his morals. In fact, Randy P. Schiff explains this in his article, Unstable Kinship: Trojanness, Treason, and Community in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, when he says that, “Displaying his mastery of courtly deference, Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight publicly defines himself through kinship” (Schiff 1). Meaning that Gawain prides himself on the loyalty that he is able to give to those who respect him and are close to him. Since Gawain needs a place to stay
Beowulf and Gawain are shown as great leaders. Sir Gawain is liked by most people he has met. Beowulf has many loyal followers by his side. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are both brave and loyal. They attempt to honor their kings and kingdoms. Those are all qualities of a hero.
The title characters in both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight were both considered paragons of excellence by their peoples. Yet, upon close inspection of the specific actions of these characters, stark differences emerge. While Gawain is virtuous and exemplifies selflessness, Beowulf's heroism is marred by his pursuit of fame and wealth, which seems to dominate his every action. The discrepancy can be explained by a contextual analysis of both heroes. Gawain's code of chivalry emphasized perfection and thus he is flawless. Beowulf on the contrary adheres to the code of heroism, which is much less stringent on man's actions, and much more open to interpretation.
‘Beowulf’ & ‘Sir Gawain And The Green Knight’ Classical literature is replete with the age-old albeit timeless concept of warrior heroes. There have been a number of epics, plays and novels that consist of characters that heroic qualities and thus fit into the literary archetype of a warrior hero. There are of course slight variations to the kind of heroes that can be found in such stories and this is mainly because of the cultural differences that exist among various civilizations. Consider for example Beowulf, which was originally written in the Anglo-Saxon language and is basically a story about the way the brave people of Germanic and Scandinavian origins successfully took control of the Roman Empire. The plot revolves around the warrior hero Beowulf and the manner in which he defeated the horrific monsters that were terrorizing the people at the time, which brings him immediate respect and fame. It must be noted that Beowulf was not a traditional warrior hero i.e. he was immensely disliked by his people initially because they did not think that he was brave enough to do anything (Niles & Bjork, p. 45). However all that changed once he defeated the monsters and thus his status was immediately elevated to that of a hero. Also worth mentioning at this point is that Beowulf was not a mild-mannered, chivalrous knight that could become fierce if the need arose (quite like the conventional English heroes). In fact he was violent to the core and it is this trait that is actually responsible for making him heroic. This is mainly because in the Germanic tradition military prowess was the main way to acquire respect and control in a society. Thus he is not a warrior hero, or simply a hero for that matter, because he was ‘philosophical’ ...
Have you seen the movie Thor with Chris Hemsworth? Did you know that Thor is one of the most popular Gods in Norse Mythology. It dated back from the time “Beowulf” by Anonymous Poet was written by in the 6th century. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” by Anonymous Poet was written in 14th Century later on but converting to Christianity was still happening. This lead to the poem showing “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” was in each of the characters, is a struggle of inner conflict. Also, including living in those eras show the societies change and transition of leaving the worshipping of Gods, and instead having a deity that is their new heroic God. There is a similarity that these two poems
No matter where you go or any civilization that you might visit there is always one thing that makes them all the same and that one thing is culture. This allows the people to pass on the ideals that they have worked to keep from generation to generation .The Anglo saxons were area in time that ideals of pride and self worth were set as a prominent belief. The Middle Ages showed similar belief but focused much more on the idea of honor and respect.While the narrative poems Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight reflect two stories, sharing the same basic monomythic pattern such as in Joseph Campbell and A Thousand faces the contrast in the values held by the cultures that produced these works is clear.
Sir Gawain and Beowulf are both defined as heroes within medieval literature but have entirely different descriptions and traits that make them a hero. Sir Gawain is largely described as being a hero because he is humble, persistent, brave, and loyal. In fact, his main quest takes place after accepting a challenge from the Green Knight in place of King Arthur, which shows his bravery and loyalty right away. On the other hand, Beowulf is a more classic iteration of what many people would imagine a hero being with traits such as honor, strength, courage, and power. His main quest has him setting out to destroy evil monsters to protect his people and fellow tribes from